This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for protecting the exterior door portion of a vehicle from damage to the exterior finish caused by the doors of adjacent vehicles. This invention specifically relates to protective apparatus which may be demountably attached to the body of the vehicle.
It is well known by automobile owners that automobiles are often damaged in a parking lot situation when the door of one automobile is opened and comes in contact with the side of an adjacent automobile. The damage caused can include scratches, paint chips and dents. Although many automobiles are equipped with permanent molding strips, these strips are often of an inadequate width, or are positioned on the side of the automobile at a height selected for style rather than for functionality.
Several automobile protective devices are known in the art. Marquette U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,887 and McGlone U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,697 disclose devices which are detachably mounted on automobiles by magnetic means. Cooper U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,294 discloses the use of suction cups to attach a protective bumper to a vehicle. The magnets and the suction cups, however, may cause damage to the exterior finish of the vehicle. Other devices utilize complicated construction features, such as telescopic tubes, as in Ziner, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,331. Many known protective devices fail to take into account existing protective strips on automobiles and must be fitted above or below such strips. This may reduce the overall effectiveness of the protective devices. Also, many protective devices can slip or sag, thereby reducing their effectiveness.